Featuring:744,543 Records of 1,876 Speciesand 2,994 Photos!Follow us on Facebook

Latest Sightings

You need to be registered and logged-on to post sightings here: see guidance. If you are not registered but have sightings, news or events please email to Webmaster. Please note that all observations and comments published on the Dorset Moths Latest Sightings webpage or any other external website, especially with respect to notable and important Dorset moth records, are unconfirmed and remain so until the record is forwarded to and ratified by the appropriate county moth recorder: see Moth Recording.

For previous years archived records contact Webmaster (to be available on-line shortly).

A first for me, 2 species of Catocala in the same trap: Red Underwing and another Clifden Nonpareil. Otherwise Vestal and 2 Barred Sallow. The latter are a daily feature of the traps and this species is presumably now breeding on the large Field Maple at the bottom of my garden.

Home for a long weekend. Stroke effects subsiding. Ran the trap last night.
12 species including 2 Vestals, 1 Burnished Brass f. juncta, 1 Sallow, 1 Black Rustic. Living in Exeter and missing Dorset, The facilities in Devon for Moths is somewhat ancient, compared with Dorset.

Undoubted highlight was my second ever Clifden Nonpareil, with back-up cast of Vestal and 2 Pearly Underwing. Best of rest were 3 Barred Sallow, Brick and Dark Spectacle.
Moth a bit tatty but photo just to give an idea of size:

A good range of seasonal moths here included Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow, L-album Wainscot, Black Rustic, Spruce Carpet, Pine Carpet, Red-green Carpet, Pinion-streaked Snout, Gold Triangle and a new for site record of Deep-brown Dart. Migrants were few: Dark Sword-grass and a single Rush Veneer.

Last to be spotted under the rim of the trap was a superb Clifden Nonpareil, the definite highlight among the 35 species recorded (190 moths in total). Migrants were represented by 2 Rush Veneer, 2 Dark Sword Grass a single Diamond-back. NFY were singles of Acleris sparsana, Beaded Chestnut, Autumnal Rustic and Black Rustic.

Two Heath Traps out on what appeared to be very still, near perfect conditions...trying for Deep-brown Dart. Mixed results with a scatter of Black Rustic, Lunar Underwing, Turnip Moth, Copper Underwing, Light Emerald and Hedge Rustics among the familiar yellow underwings, and singles of White Point, Rosy Rustic, Common Wainscot and a Burnished Brass. A disappointing assemblage and not a sallow in sight.

Warm and muggy. A better night. 23 species. Highlights were 2 White-point, 2 Copper Underwing agg (Svensson's on the criteria in Waring) and 2 Pinion-streaked Snout. Also a very worn Black Arches was very late.

Another reasonable number with 142 moths of 25 species. Most notable was the large number of Rush Veneer (31). Heath Rustic was first for garden and other highlights were L-album Wainscot, Feathered Brindle(3) and Feathered Ranaculous (3).

Cool again overnight and just 21 species. Included were: Celypha lacunana, Vestal(a different individual from the previous night), 2 Silver Y, Turnip, Mouse Moth, Black Rustic and Pale Mottled Willow. Also a Vestal disturbed from heathland on the southern shore of Poole Harbour this afternoon.

19-Sept MV/Actinic x5 (Highlights)

Lulworth Estate

Targetting Catocala spp., a single, fresh C. nuptaRed Underwing obliged. Very little else to mention apart from a sprinkling of common migrants and a single Xestia castaneaNeglected Rustic in the garden trap.

A colder, moonlit first part of the night, clouding over before dawn. Just 77 of 15 species including: Eudonia angustea, Acleris laterana/comariana,Vestal, Dark Sword-grass, Angle Shades and Black Rustic.

Numbers still falling and just 15 species on another cool, moonlit night. Acleris laterana, Rush Veneer, Dark Sword-grass, Angle Shades, Black Rustic, Canary-shouldered Thorn and a Single-dotted Wave were among the 60 or so moths caught.

12-Sept Charmouth (Highlights)

Low numbers again with a bright moon, a brisk wind and the temperature falling to 7C. Micros just Hypatima rhomboidella and Common Plume, and among the rest were: Black Rustic, Lunar Underwing, Dark Spectacle, Dark Sword-grass, Lesser Yellow Underwing and Vine's Rustic.

The temperature dropped from 12C after dark to a chilly 5C by dawn and just 85 moths turned up. The micros included: Agonopterix arenella, Eudonia angustea,Garden Rose Tortrix and Common Plume. Among the rest were: Hedge Rustic, Lunar Underwing, Dark Sword-grass, Common Wainscot and Mouse Moth.

Loads of moths after a very cloudy, mild night; still 16 deg C at dawn this morning. Sadly no rare Catocala's but of note were Mecyna asinalis, Cornborer, Pale Eggar, Red Underwing, Centre-barred Sallow and a 2nd gen Dagger sp.

43 species and still large numbers of Setaceous Hebrew Character and Large Yellow Underwing. More notable- Burnished Brass, Pretty Chalk Carpet, Centre-barred Sallow, Purple Bar,Feathered Gothic(2),Copper Underwing (2) Blood-vein and Small Blood-vein

Very dark, and still and warm, with rain towards the morning. My first night since 8 August. Autumn has arrived! 35 species including Centre-barred Sallows and a nice Frosted Orange. FFG Hedge Rustic - not sure why I haven't had that before.

A very mild, overcast and damp night brought out a few more moths, but still only 40 or so species from two traps. Among the micros were: Eudonia angustea, Celypha striana, Celypha lacunana, Acleris laterana, Gold Triangle, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix, and Light Brown Apple Moth. Among the rest were: Black Rustic (first of the season), Frosted Orange, Pink-barred Sallow, Pale Eggar, White-point, Silver Y, Copper Underwing, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, Rosy Rustic and legions of Large Yellow Underwing.

A cooler night and largely clear, which produced just 25 species. Included were: Rusty-dot Pearl, Dark Sword-grass, Silver Y(several recently have been of the form gammina), Dark Spectacle and the first Lunar Underwing of the season.

Catch of 178 moths was dominated by Setaceous Hebrew Character (43) Flounced Rustic (24) and Vine's Rustic (22); migrants were represented by just a single Udea ferrugalis and 2 Dark Sword-grass; also of interest were Cypress Carpet, Yellow Belle and 2 White-point.

Was asked to look through their moth trap this morning as part of Butterfly Conservation's 'Munching Caterpillars' training event and among a low turnout of normal late-summer species, a single red form Xestia castaneaNeglected Rustic; without doubt a dispersing individual.

A rise in temperature again and some cloud cover brought them out in better numbers. Mostly routine species again, but among those on the wing were: White-point, several Dark Sword-grass, Angle Shades, Feathered Gothic, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, Purple Bar, Lychnis, Mouse Moth, and at dusk a Hummingbird Hawk nectaring on Buddleia davidii and honeysuckle.

A sudden drop in temperature soon after dark to 7C with a clear sky. The numbers fell sharply, and with the exception of a single Dark Sword-grass representing the immigrants, the 80+ others were all local and regular species.